Seismic activity during the 1968 test pumping at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal disposal well

Circular 613

Links

Abstract

During the 1968 pumping tests at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal disposal welt, the U.S. Geological Survey was responsible for monitoring earthquakes occurring in the area of the arsenal and making chemical analysis of the fluids removed, three criteria were established to suspend the pumping if anomalous earthquake activity occurred during the pumping test. These criteria were based on the frequency, magnitude, and location of the local earthquakes.
The pumping program consisted of four tests which occurred between September 3 and October 26, 1968. During periods of pumping, earthquake activity remained within acceptable limits and no suspensions of the pumping were required. After each of the two major pumping periods an increase in the frequency of small earthquakes occurred. During the first of these two periods of high seismic activity the Geological Survey recommended a delay in the start of the next phase of the pumping until the activity subsided. Most of the earthquakes during 1968 occurred northwest of the arsenal; however, in the 2? month period after the start of the test, a larger percent of the earthquakes occurred on the arsenal than in the previous 8-month period. The temperature in the cooled zone at the bottom of the well was 12?F warmer 2 weeks after pumping stopped than it was in January 1968. Preliminary chemical analyses indicate that very little mixing between waste fluids and connate water bas occurred.

Additional publication details

Publication type:

Report

Publication Subtype:

USGS Numbered Series

Title:

Seismic activity during the 1968 test pumping at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal disposal well

Series title:

Circular

Series number:

613

Edition:

-

Year Published:

1969

Language:

ENGLISH

Publisher:

U.S. Dept. of the Interior,

Description:

iii, 35 p. :illus., maps. ;27 cm.

Part or all of this report is presented in Portable Document Format (PDF). For best results viewing and printing PDF documents, it is recommended that you download the documents to your computer and open them with Adobe Reader. PDF documents opened from your browser may not display or print as intended. Download the latest version of Adobe Reader, free of charge. More information about viewing, downloading, and printing report files can be found here.